The Doctor And I

The Beast Below - Protest or Forget

Amy's POV-

I woke up sat in a chair, with an old looking screen in front of me. I look around but there doesn't seem to be a way out, and I start to panic, until I hear a voice, seemingly coming from the screen.

"Welcome to voting cubicle three thirty C. Please leave this installation as you would wish to find it. The United Kingdom recognises the right to know of all its citizens. A presentation concerning the history of Starship UK will begin shortly. Your identity is being verified on our electoral roll. Name, Amelia Jessica Pond. Age, thirteen hundred and six."

"Shut up." I say to the screen. It continues.

"Marital status..." I lean forward, curious to see what it says. "unknown." I crash back in my chair in annoyance, the screen having made me really anticipating, then crushing my curiosity.
The screen flicker on and a voice starts talking.

"You are here because you want to know the truth about this starship, and I am talking to you because you're entitled to know. When this presentation has finished, you will have a choice. You may either protest. or forget. If you choose to protest, understand this. If just one percent of the population of this ship do likewise, the programme will be discontinued with consequences for you all. If you choose to accept the situation, and we hope that you will, then press the Forget button. All the information I'm about to give you will be erased from your memory. You will continue to enjoy the safety and amenities of Starship UK, unburdened by the knowledge of what has been done to save you. Here then, is the truth about Starship UK, and the price that has been paid for the safety of the British people. May God have mercy on our souls."

The presentation is fast, and leaves me reeling. I press Forget. Then I forget everything, and I'm left sat in the chair confused. The screen displays Message Waiting. I press play, curious at to what is to be said. I pop up on screen.

"This isn't a trick. This is for real. You've got to find the Doctor and get him back to the Tardis. Don't let him investigate. Stop him. Do whatever you have to, just please, please get the Doctor off this ship!" I plead with myself, tears streaming down my face on both the screen and in reality, although I don't know why. Suddenly the door is flung open, and Mandy and Bailee are outside, and The Doctor bounds in.

"Listen to me. This isn't a trick. This is for real." I continue to plead on screen.

"Amy?" The Doctor asks from behind me.

"You've got to find the Doctor." I say on screen again. I reach forward and turn the message off.

The Doctor looks at me with hard eyes. "What have you done?" He asks. The Doctor reaches for his sonic screwdriver and scans a device in the ceiling. "Yeah, your basic memory wipe job. Must have erased about twenty minutes." He confirms, still not happy with me.

"But why would I choose to forget?" I ask, still confused from the memory wipe.

"Because everyone does. Everyone chooses the Forget button." Mandy pipes up, still outside, although Bailee has come in.

"Did you?" I asks Mandy.

"I'm not eligible to vote yet. I'm twelve. Any time after you're sixteen, you're allowed to the see the film and make your choice. And then once every five years." She explains.

"And once every five years, everyone chooses to forget what they've learned. Democracy in action." The Doctor says, still annoyed.

"How do you not know about this? Are you Scottish too?" Mandy asks The Doctor.

"Oh, I'm way worse than Scottish. I can't even see the movie. Won't play for me."

"It played for me." I say.